Trying to Say Goodbye
by Hazmatt
Summary: He tries to leave, but she's learned to fight.


**Author's Note:** I was really mad at my car this morning when I posted this, so I forgot to add this important little detal...I don't own Bones, FOX does, maybe I'll get it for my birthday though, the DVDs not the actual show, I'm not that lucky, as evidenced by my car this morning.

This is my first Bones story, I hope you like it! Either way, I'd appriciate any opinion you have on it.

Sorry if it's formatted wrong, it's different than on the site I'm used to.

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Trying to Say Good-bye

Booth had to leave. Only bad things happened when he was around, and he wouldn't be responsible if something happened to her; he couldn't hive with it, so he had to leave.

There was only one problem with his plan. If this was any other time, he'd be thrilled. His emotionally scared partner, who never trusted anyone to stick around had made a breakthrough revelation at the worst time possible.

He was trying to push her away for her own good, but she had finally realized that it was more rewarding to hold on. He wanted so bad to pick her up and spin her in circles and never, ever, let her go. At the same time he wanted to pull his hair out.

At least she was consistent. Just when he thought he had her figured out, that he knew what made her tick, she'd do something like this and force him to have to try to figure her out all over again.

He wanted to scream in frustration or kiss her in wild passion and that just frustrated him more. Why did he have to fall for a woman who wrote the book on being a confusing female?

More importantly, why did she choose the moment he tried to tell her he had to leave to learn for his previous advice, and blockade his retreat?

It would have worked perfectly, his plan. He would leave, the danger would follow him, and she'd be safe. There were problems associated with his plan, he'd grant you that. He'd be in constant peril alone, and she'd end up trusting people even less, because he promised that he'd never leave her. He was her partner, and she'd learned that you stayed alive when you trusted your partner, so she did. And broken trust was even worst than disappointment from realizing that you were right to not trust someone, because you were already in deeper if your trust was broken.

He had never wanted to cause her pain of any kind, and he would have deeply regretted that consequence, but she would have been safe, and he could live with it, and she, unfortunately, was certainly the master at dealing with being left behind. That was really the only good thing about her realization in this situation; he wouldn't be responsible for hurting her and shattering her already fragile trusting methods.

He felt an odd inkling of pride under his frustration and fear. He had taught his skittish and doubting best friend what it meant to trust implicitly; unfortunately, he'd taught her to the point that she was fighting to make him stay.

It was a battle he hadn't expected to fight, and ultimately, one he had no defence against. He was pretty sure she knew that too. Hell, she knew everything else, why should this be any different? Well, she knew everything but pop culture references and emotions, and these were emotions, so she should be clueless, that's why!

He was so screwed! Like always, she had a logical response to his every objection.

"These people are dangerous!" he exclaimed.

"So are a lot of people, and that's never stopped us before. Why is this time different? Besides, you know that I can take care of myself, and I certainly know that you can take care of yourself…and we're masterful at taking care of each other, so I don't see the problem." She reasoned in that logical tone of hers. Damn!

Booth kept trying to come up with reasons that it was better if he left, and she logically refuted them to such a degree, that had he not been so set on leaving, would have swayed him to change his mind. Then she asked a question that threw him for a loop. She really had learned.

"What is it that's got you so scared of sticking around, when you're usually so much more likely to charge ahead full steam?" It was the look in her eyes when she said that, with the impact of her insight that finally got him.

He really was doomed. He could never lie to her when it was important, and never even when it was trivial if she looked at him like that.

"I'm afraid that something'll happen to you, and I'll loose you. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me. And I can't stand the thought of loosing you, Bones," he said on a sigh.

She quirked an eyebrow, and for the first time in their partnership, when faced with his protective demeanour, did not berate him for his alpha-male tendencies, instead she smiled a bit. She had most definitely changed. Damn him!

"You don't want to loose me, so you plan on leaving me? Booth, that amounts to the same thing, except you'd be doing it to yourself instead of being there to prevent my 'loss' with those alpha-male protective tendencies of yours of which I've grown so fond."

That caused him to pause. "You've grown fond of 'alpha-male protective tendencies'?" He asked in a most incredulous tone.

"When you're the one have the 'tendencies', yeah, I have." She said this with the same smile as before, only it was a little broader, and it was easier to decipher the tender fondness hidden in the expression.

"You like it when _I_ get protective of you?" Booth asked to clarify, certain he'd heard wrong.

"As hard as you may find it to believe, yes, I do. I find it hard to believe too, if it helps you any," she added upon seeing his stunned expression.

"Why?" He paused for a moment, but spoke again before she could answer. "Are you really Bones? Did you do something to Temperance Brennan, because you don't sound like my Bones?"

If anything, be smile moved in the opposite direction to that he had been expecting. It got bigger. He had expected her to get irritated and exasperated with him, instead she seemed happy. It was kind of creepy when he thought about it, she was never that happy.

"I like the sound of that, you know, being yours? I know that I never expected to like the archaic idea of possessing someone, or being possessed like an object. When you said that, however, I didn't feel like an object." She got a dreamy expression on her face.

"How did you feel then?" Booth asked tentatively, forgetting that he was supposed to be trying to leave.

"I know it's cliché, but I felt all warm and fuzzy inside, and while I know I could tell you why I felt like that, for once in my life I don't want to explain it away, I like it the way it is now." She smiled broadly at him, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Why does your smile have to be so captivating, I'd be able to resist you if it wasn't?" he muttered. She blushed deeply before replying.

"I'm glad it is then, because I don't want you going anywhere! You said that it was dangerous, well we both know that we do better in dangerous situations when were together, rather than apart, so why are you trying to change that? I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you, especially if it was because you left to keep me safe. You'll just have to stay so that neither of us has to worry that the other has gotten hurt without us there to do something about it."

Booth couldn't help but smile, but though he was leaning towards agreeing with her, he still wasn't there yet.

"Would it help your decision if I told you that at the same time that I realized that it was better to hold on and fight than to be left behind and hurt, I realized something else that made fighting easier?" She had a hopeful expression on her face, and Booth was intrigued.

"What'd you discover?"

"I love you." She stated it so matter of factly, that at fist, Booth was left in shock. Then her word sunk in, and immediately she was in his arms as he gave into he long held desires and proceeded to kiss her senseless.

"I guess I have to stay now, because there is no way in Hell I'm going to let you go know that I've got you!" he exclaimed before his voice softened and he leaned in closer and held her tighter in his arm. He was never going to let her go. So much for his good intentions to keep her safe. He'd just have to accomplish that in a different way. "I love you Temperance, and I am never going to let you go." His voice was territorial, and for a moment Seeley Booth was worried that he had blown it.

Temperance, however, revelled in the possessiveness. "Good, because I don't want you to," she paused, then gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. "I just want you to know that I've never felt safer than I do now in your arms, so I know that it's the bad guys that are going to have to be worried, because I'm not going to let anyone ruin the first safe place I've found since I was 15. Nope, you're stuck with me now, and the bad guys had better watch out!"

Booth couldn't help but laugh and pulled her closer into his embrace, saying a silent prayer asking God to prove her right, that they really would be fine, because heaven help him, she had made it impossible to leave.

Right as he was thinking that, she giggled, and he couldn't help but tease her, knowing that he had unintentionally said that out loud. "You little vixen you, you knew I wouldn't be able to walk away if I knew didn't you!" He started to tickle her playfully, and as their laughter led to a tender kiss, Booth knew that things would work out. How could they not, when his attempt to end their partnership had led to their life together really starting and their partnership strengthening with a new determination. Now that they were going to be working together to make their relationship work, nothing could stop them!

She was right; the bad guys had better watch out when the two of them where around, because neither of them were going to let anything happen to ruin the complete happiness both had work so hard to discover and found in the other's arm, and with it their undying love had bloomed.

**End Note:** Kind of corny I know, but I couldn't sleep last night until I wrote it down. Please tell me if it doesn't make sense.


End file.
